


Back To What I Was Before

by autumn_daisies



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Kim Seungmin is Whipped, Kim Seungmin-centric, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 20:32:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17311406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumn_daisies/pseuds/autumn_daisies
Summary: Kim Seungmin has his dream job at a big software development company called M.I.A. He's also pretty sure that the adorable secretary with the soft smile is his dream boyfriend, but that's besides the point.It turns out that Hyunjin has dreams, too, but making them come true hasn't been so easy. Seungmin wants to help.





	Back To What I Was Before

**Author's Note:**

> This is very heavily inspired by a certain piece of work you've probably already seen that I will disclose at the end, so don't freak out or anything. I hope you enjoy!

 

_ Working in an office is a dream no one in their right mind should ever have. _

  Seungmin hears it echo in his head as he looks up at the building from where he's standing on the sidewalk. It's massive, covered in glass, the words _M.I.A._ _\- Modern Information Application_ written boldly on a sign stuck towards the top of the tower. He smiles as he opens the door and hears his dress shoes against the pristine marble floors, and makes eye contact with the dark-haired secretary. There's a golden name plate on the front of the desk that Seungmin has to approach to be able to read.

_ Hwang Hyunjin, Secretary _ . Seungmin turns his gaze towards Hyunjin himself. His heart almost leaps right onto Hyunjin's immaculate desk and ruins the papers he's so diligently organizing. Hyunjin smiles widely and the feeling only intensifies.

  Seungmin's father used to say secretaries are professional models except they don't actually work. He can't help but think that Hyunjin fulfills the former requirement, but he's always so determined in his work. Seungmin admires him in more way than one.

  “Hello, Mr. Kim,” Hyunjin says kindly.

  “Mr. Hwang,” Seungmin responds, leaning against the counter between them.

  Hyunjin is wearing an emerald green, three quarter-sleeved turtleneck with delicate necklaces layered over top, his arms adorned with bracelets. It's not out of the ordinary but it's still breathtaking and unique.

  Hyunjin laughs softly. “Are you here on official business?”

  “Well, I work here.”

  Seungmin twirls his lanyard with his company ID card in his fingers pointedly.

  A woman enters the building and her entire face reddens as she spots Hyunjin. “Hello, Ms. Lee!”

  “H-hyunjin! Good morning!” she greets. She giggles and speeds towards the elevator.

  Everyone crushes on the secretary, especially if that secretary is Hwang Hyunjin, and that may just be a fact of life. Seungmin can't stop thinking about him.

  Even after Hyunjin playfully shoos him away to go start his work, he hears his laugh echoing in his short term memories. Seungmin sits down in his office chair and takes in the view of Seoul from the twentieth floor windows, which stretch the whole expanse of the wall, but soon he has to get to work writing code. It may be his dream job, but it still is a job, and Seungmin has to do it.

  Seungmin never remembers lunch break. The only thing that reminds him is the complaining of other employees as they miss their lunch breaks in order to make deadlines, to appease their manager and the manager above her. Seungmin couldn't imagine complaining about such a thing. He pulls his lunch from his bag and eats half-heartedly between long periods of typing.

  To his surprise, he hears the distinct sound of an office chair rapidly rolling towards his desk. It stops abruptly as whoever it is halts their momentum against Seungmin's desk. He looks up to see none other than Hwang Hyunjin himself.

  “Working hard?” Hyunjin asks, looking at him with some amused expression on his face.

  “I have to,” he retorts. However, he stops typing in order to pay more attention to every carefully formed syllable that Hyunjin's smooth voice produces.

  “Same here,” Hyunjin says, spinning around lazily in the chair.

_ Adorable. _

  “Is this considered working, Mr. Hwang?”

  “I'm raising morale of employees,” Hyunjin says. “Also, it's my lunch break.”

  “Aren't you eating?”

  “Nah, I had four cinnamon rolls earlier.”

  Seungmin looks for any trace of dishonesty in Hyunjin's face and finds none.

  “That's absurd!” Seungmin says, shaking his head. “What kind of sweet tooth do you have?”

  “A bad one,” Hyunjin laments, messing with a pen absentmindedly.

  Seungmin watches him exhale and place the pen down. “Are you okay?”

  Hyunjin nods and smiles, but it falls in a matter of moments. “I just… you know I write code, right?”

  Seungmin watches Hyunjin's face. He looks concerned, thoughtful, eyebrows furrowed and gaze trained on the surface of the desk. “I didn't know that,” he admits.

  Hyunjin sighs. “Yeah. Because I'm a secretary at a super major tech company and not a software engineer. I have a  _ degree _ . I have experience. And yet…”

  Seungmin waits for him to continue.

  “Yet I'm paid to do organize papers and be flirted with.”

  Hyunjin picks up the pen again and clicks it a few times.

  “Why don't you become a software engineer, then?” Seungmin asks.

  “It's not that easy. You would know,” he explains, running a hand through his neat hair. “I want a job at this company, and I have one.”

  “Not the right one.”

  “I… I was sure I could get promoted. Obviously, that makes so sense, but my parents keep asking about it and I'm just stressed.”

  Seungmin doesn't know how to respond to that.

  “Sorry for venting,” Hyunjin says with a nervous laugh. “You probably have work to do.”

  “So do you,” Seungmin says. “But not as a secretary.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Kim, but I really don't think I'm gonna get that position,” Hyunjin says, preparing to stand up.

  “Certainly not with that attitude,” Seungmin argues. “I can help you.”

  Hyunjin raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

  Seungmin nodded.

  Hyunjin grinned as he stood up quickly. “I don't really know how you're planning on doing that, but thank you, thank you! I'm going back to work now,” he said excitedly, placing a hand on Seungmin's shoulder before quickly rushing away.

  Seungmin shook his head in disbelief. He, too, really didn't know how he was planning on doing that. But Hyunjin deserved that job as much as any other person with the right credentials, and Seungmin wanted to prove it to the managers.

 

~~~

 

  Hyunjin didn't talk to him much more all week. Friday came and Seungmin had only greeted him in the mornings and vaguely talked about software and the weather before he left in the evenings. Hyunjin was focused on his work, it seemed, which Seungmin figured was a good thing.

  That Friday, Seungmin stayed later than usual trying to get work done. It was seven pm when he noticed his manager, Mrs. Park, was walking around, talking to her manager, Mr. Gwan. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but they seemed slightly worried.

  “-retiring. He needs a replacement,” Mrs. Park said.

  “It won't be that hard to find one, but I would prefer you hire from inside the company. We have deadlines to meet.”

  “He's not coming back on Monday… it was very sudden. Nobody knew. I need a replacement as  _ soon as possible. _ ”

  “I'll see what I can do,” Mr. Gwan said. Their conversation stopped and Seungmin took it all in.

  There was an opening in his team and Mr. Lee wanted to hire someone from inside the company.

  Seungmin grinned.

  He packed up his stuff and made his way to the elevator and waited impatiently for it to take him to the lobby. He prayed Hyunjin hadn't gone home yet, but he also wouldn't be happy if he was staying late.

  Hyunjin was typing tirelessly on his keyboard when Seungmin bounded up to the front desk with a smile on his face. “Mr. Hwang. I have news.”

  Hyunjin raised his eyebrows.

  “I know how to get you that job.”

  Hyunjin's eyes widen even more and he stands in surprise. “What?”

  “There's an opening on my team, and Mr. Lee wants to hire someone who already works here! I think you can get him to give it to you.”

  Hyunjin grins. “Is he still here? I wanna go ask him-”

  The elevator dings and Mr. Gwan’s familiar form walks through the doors.

  Mr. Gwan looks intimidating, at least Seungmin believes so. He's over six feet tall and always wears a pure black 3 piece suit, his greying hair styled sharply and glasses accenting his terrifyingly calculating eyes. He could claim to be 35 or 65 years old and Seungmin would believe it. His voice is loud and unforgiving, and his personality is even more so.

  “Mr. Gwan!” Hyunjin says. His voice is adorably full of excitement and hope. Seungmin moves away from the desk so they can talk and smiles a little to himself as he watches Hyunjin.

  “Ah, Hyunjin,” Mr. Gwan says. “I need you to send a memo about a job opening in an email to employee set D2. And to put it on the website.”

  “What kind of job opening? Which team?” Hyunjin asks. He's beaming. Glowing. He's beautiful.

  “A software engineer under Mrs. Park's team, District 9,” Mr. Gwan says. He sounds angry despite the fact that he probably isn't.

 Hyunjin clears his throat and takes in a deep breath. Seungmin offers a thumbs up and a smile, which Hyunjin observes before turning his gaze back towards Mr. Lee. “Actually, Mr. Gwan. I was hoping that you would consider me for the position.”

  Mr. Gwan’s eyebrows raise slightly. “Hmm. Well, I will think about it. Send that memo, will you? I'll see you on Monday. You too, Seungmin,” he says. He leaves the building quickly and Hyunjin's eyes are wet.

  “Wait, Hyu- Mr. Hwang, what's wrong?” Seungmin asks, rushing to stand in front of him.

  “I don't know. ‘I’ll think about it’ means  _ no _ , Mr. Kim. I'm just not very confident,” he says, wiping the tears that threaten to fall.

  “But Mr. Gwan is just like that. He always sounds negative. Don't lose hope.”

  Seungmin comfortingly places his hands on Hyunjin's forearms, the only part of him he can reach from the opposite side of the counter. Hyunjin looks up at him and Seungmin smiles. Hyunjin returns it and Seungmin's hands suddenly feel incredibly tingly, so he draws them back. “It'll be okay, right?” Seungmin asks.

  He only relaxes when Hyunjin mumbles out a slightly defeated “of course.”

  “I should head out,” Seungmin says. “See you on Monday?”

  “For sure?”

 

~~~

 

  Seungmin hopes work will distract him from thinking about Hyunjin. Hyunjin's career. Hell, he doesn't even know if Hyunjin can  _ write code _ . Maybe he's not a good software developer at all. All he knows is he's passionate and adorable and Seungmin would love to work with him. He comes into work and Hyunjin looks bothered. He's clearly not doing so well.

  “Mr. Hwang,” Seungmin said as he entered. “You look exhausted.”

  Hyunjin laughs and it's just as bright as usual. “I was up late doing freelance software work,” he says, pointing to the slightly dark circles under his coffee-colored eyes. 

  “Isn't freelancing against your contract?” Seungmin asks quietly.

  “I don't write software for a living, so, no,” Hyunjin says with a big goofy smile on his face. “Also, I like money, and being a secretary doesn't pay as much as my office-” he gestures to the whole ornate lobby. “-may lead you to believe.”

  Seungmin laughs. “Fair enough.”

  “Plus, I'm worried. About the job,” he adds, resting his head in his hands. It's adorable.

  “Don't worry, Hyunji- Mr. Hwang, really. It's okay.”

  “Go to work, Mr. Kim.”

  Seungmin sticks his tongue out playfully and slams the elevator button with his fist.

  The rest of the week passed similarly. Hyunjin eats his lunch with Seungmin as well, which is something normal half the time, but sometimes he just brings sweets that would make even the most hyperactive child want to make an immediate trip to the dentist. Seungmin is fascinated by him. And when he talks about code, it's clear he's extremely skilled and passionate. Seungmin becomes absolutely certain that Hyunjin will get the job.

  Seungmin heads home on time that Friday even though he'll have work to do at home. The missing member of their team put a large dent in their productivity, and Seungmin just wanted someone, namely Hwang Hyunjin, to be hired to fill the spot.

  Seungmin orders chicken and sits down on the couch to work. The doorbell of his apartment rings after ten minutes, which he is surprised by. It is much too fast. He opens the door to hear panting and he looks up to see Hyunjin, sweaty and smiling ear to ear.

  “H-hyunji- Mr. Hwang?” Seungmin questions.

  “I got the job,” he says, out of breath. “Mr. Gwan called me just now, and I got your address from the employee database - I hope that isn't weird? I'm sorry-”

  Seungmin is grinning now and he grabs Hyunjin's arm and pulls him inside. “No, it's okay. I'm glad you came.”

  And Hwang Hyunjin is in his house and Seungmin feels positively fuzzy.

  “Did you miss me?” Hyunjin asks with a laugh.

  “You wish,” Seungmin responds. “So you got the job?”

  “Yeah! I start working with you all on Monday. I'm so excited, I need to go see my parents, this is… thank you.”

  “For what? You kind of did this all by yourself,” Seungmin says, sitting on the couch and watching as Hyunjin does the same.

  “Without you I wouldn't have been confident enough to ask,” Hyunjin admits. His face is a soft pink and his voice is bubblegum sweet.

  “Well, then, you're welcome,” Seungmin says. “I'm so happy for you!”

  Hyunjin stands. “I really should go now. I have to go tell my parents! I'll see you on Monday.”

  Seungmin walks the short distance to the door with him and watches him nearly  _ skip  _ down the stairs and away from the apartment building. He laughs as he closes the door.

 

~~~

 

  Hyunjin's new desk is immaculate, as expected, with pastel pink pens in a rose gold cup by his computer and Hyunjin himself sitting behind it, which was definitely the best part. It's across from Seungmin's desk, making it all too easy for him to stare at him instead of his screen. He dresses in button-ups and blazers now. It's a sharp contrast to the turtlenecks layered with necklaces he would wear as a secretary. Seungmin likes both, he decides.

  All of the shallow things aside, Hyunjin working his dream job makes Seungmin just as happy as  _ him _ working his dream job does. The universe feels nice. It feels right.

  “Seungmin? Seungmin,” Hyunjin says. His tall form is in front of Seungmin's desk and he jolts.

  “Sorry, I was spacing out, what were you saying?” Seungmin asks.

  Hyunjin laughs at that and Seungmin feels like the butterflies in his stomach are having a rave. 

  “Where is Mrs. Park?”

  Seungmin points towards her desk and Hyunjin walks off with long strides. Seungmin tries not to watch him as he walks away and actually does his work. He shakes his head quickly and continues typing.

  Hyunjin still eats lunch with him, when he isn't working. Hyunjin isn't the hardest working of the employees, but he is determined, it seems.

  “Wild, isn't it?” Seungmin hears from beside him.

  He turns to see Mr. Gwan, tall and terrifying with a smile on his face.

  “Do elaborate, sir,” Seungmin says.

  “Hwang Hyunjin was just a secretary last week,” he says, watching as Hyunjin says something to Mrs. Park. “Kind of a pretty airhead type. And now…”

  “I beg you give him more credit than that,” Seungmin spits.

  Mr. Gwan is not a nice man, and Seungmin knows this. It doesn't make it tolerable, but it can also be an advantage. Sometimes harsh leadership is necessary.

  Mr. Gwan laughs a bit to heartily. “Well, he's surprised me, despite my former thoughts.”

  “I'm glad.”

  Mr. Gwan left as Hyunjin returned. He sat down at his desk and flashed Seungmin a smile, and he returned it.

  The next few days pass with Hyunjin working harder every day, evidently trying to get something of substance done before their Thursday meeting. When asked about it, he assures Seungmin he's not overworking himself, but it doesn't keep him from being concerned. They still talk about coding, about life, about Hyunjin's bizarre eating habits, and Seungmin figures he's probably falling in love with Hyunjin. It's a passing thought that doesn't bother him, as Hyunjin was  _ the secretary _ , the one everyone loves. It must be natural.

  Hyunjin is nervous for the meeting. He's wearing a suit, a proper one, black and boring on its own, but Hyunjin could look, sound, be interesting in anything. Seungmin considered himself whipped. When Seungmin comes into work, Hyunjin is messing with his sleeves as he sits on his desk. Seungmin walks to lean on the surface.

  “Hey, Mr. Hwang.”

  “You really can call me Hyunjin, Mr. Kim,” he says with a laugh.

  “Then you have to call me Seungmin,” he says. “I'm younger than you and no longer your superior, so…”

  “Fine, S-”

  “Come on, Hyunjin.”

  Seungmin could swear Hyunjin turned a shade of red.

  “It feels weird,” Hyunjin says, twisting his tongue in several different positions, as if to stretch it. “Seungmin.”

  Seungmin's heart falters and he nods, hoping his face isn't too red. “Anyway. How are you, Hyunjin?”

  Hyunjin laughs at that, small and breathy. “I'm so nervous.”

  “Why? It's just a meeting. We don't even have to talk much,” Seungmin says.

  “Yeah, but still.”

  Seungmin checks the watch on his wrist and sighs. “It’s almost 9. We have to go.”

  “Yeah.”

  Hyunjin groans as he stands up. They walk to the elevator and stand in silence as it goes up five floors. They exit and Seungmin tugs Hyunjin's sleeve as he walks towards the meeting room.

  It's silent when they enter, and they sit next to each other on the far side of the long, narrow, glass table. Seungmin notices Hyunjin bouncing his leg nervously and thoughtlessly places a hand on his knee. Hyunjin stops and turns to him with a small, worried smile.

  Mr. Gwan walks in and announces the start of the meeting, and somehow it feels much better. He talks about the project and the client and the deadlines and be doesn't mention Hyunjin until towards the end of the hour.

  “Hwang Hyunjin,” he says. Hyunjin lurches in his seat. “Hyunjin is, as many of you know, the newest member of our team.”

  Many people nod.

  “Despite what you make already think about him, he's kept in correspondence with me to show the work he's done, and it is extremely impressive. I hope you will all give him a  _ very _ warm welcome,” Mr. Gwan says, his eyes not once leaving Hyunjin.

  Seungmin watches as Hyunjin beams with pride and he can't help but smile as well. Hyunjin made it.

  The rest of the meeting passes in a haze of Hyunjin's smile and his eyes and his thoughts as he occasionally speaks and soon it's time for their lunch break.

  “There will be another meeting to wrap up starting at three,” Mr. Gwan announces. And with that, they all filtered out of the room, Hyunjin jumping with joy, almost literally.

  They returned to Seungmin's desk.

  “I just. I can't believe he said that!” Hyunjin enthuses, mouth full of rice.

  “I can. You deserve it,” Seungmin says.

  Hyunjin giggles and thanks him.

  “I’m proud of you, Hyunjin.”

  “Wha- uh. Thank you,” he responds, surprised by the praise. “Just thanks for everything, Seungmin.”

  “No need to do that,” Seungmin says with a laugh. “To be honest, I haven't done much.”

  “No, I feel so much better working here because of you. And I wouldn't have even tried for the position without you.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  “I don't,” Hyunjin says.

  Seungmin shrugs. “Well, then, thank me when you inevitably become CEO of this company.”

  Hyunjin snorts. “Will do.”

  “Unless I do it first,” Seungmin adds. Hyunjin nods enthusiastically.

  They finish their lunch soon and Hyunjin returns to his desk. Seungmin manages to get absorbed in his work until he feels the heavy weight of a gaze on his shoulders. He looks up to see Hyunjin looking at him, who points at his surprisingly bare wrist - no jewelry to be found. It's odd.

  “It's time,” he mouths.

  Seungmin stands and they walk the now familiar path to the meeting room.

  The meeting is boring. Seungmin is happy when it's over.

  “Alright, head on home, everyone. Be ready for work on Monday. Hyunjin,”

  Hyunjin leaps up at the mention of his name, and Seungmin smiles. He's just adorable and Seungmin hasn't been handling it well.

  “I'll have a word with you after the meeting.”

  Seungmin makes eye contact with Hyunjin, who smiles. It's so soft, so proud, and Seungmin smiles back.

  “Go ahead without me, yeah? I'll text you about it so I don't have to show up to your apartment uninvited,” Hyunjin says.

  “I should give you my number, the-”

  “Employee database. Don't worry,” he assures him. Seungmin laughs and leaves the room.

  He returns to his desk, grabs his messenger bag and takes the elevator down to the lobby. There's a new secretary. He's adorable, but not as breathtaking as Hyunjin.

  He's tempted to wait, but he doesn't, and just walks out of the building.

 

~~~

 

  Seungmin isn't home for ten minutes before his phone rings. He stumbles off the couch and digs through his bag. The number is unknown.

  He remembers what Hyunjin said and picks up. “Hey, Hyunjin! How are you?”

  “I'm coming over, is that okay?”

  Seungmin breaths in sharply. His voice is shaking, cracking, as if he's crying, and his heart breaks into two clean halves he can feel separating from each other, piercing his lungs and making his breathing that much more difficult. “Yeah.”

  Hyunjin sniffs loudly and hangs up. Seungmin starts heating water for tea - whether or not Hyunjin was upset, he figures it will be good to have. He can't stop worrying.

  He hears a knock on the door after ten minutes and nearly throws it open to see Hyunjin, face swollen and streaked with tears, lower lip shaking. His makeup is smeared and Seungmin feels tears prick his own eyes as Hyunjin walks into his arms.

  “Hyunjin… what's wrong?”

  Hyunjin sobs, broken and wet, and Seungmin holds him tighter without moving for what feels like years. It feels ice, but he is miserable, everything feels miserable. The air smells of tears and some stranger's cologne.

  “Hyunjin,” Seungmin repeats.

  Hyunjin separates from him just enough to look him in the eyes. “I… I need to go.”

  “Stay? Talk to me,” Seungmin says. He searches Hyunjin's glazed eyes for answers and finds none.

  “You know, I grew up outside of Seoul and I came here to pursue a job at M.I.A.,” he says. He separates from Seungmin to pace aimlessly around the living room.

  Seungmin just listens.

  “And I was gonna get a job as a software engineer, ya know? And everything was going to be like how I hoped when I was a kid. And when I got that job as a secretary, my parents, my friends, they thought I'd never make it. But I knew I could.”

  Seungmin smiles a little.  _ Hyunjin really has come so far. _

  Hyunjin takes in another choked breath. “Thank you for believing in me, Seungmin.”

  “Of course,” Seungmin says, watching as Hyunjin's steps slow down slightly.

  Hyunjin turns towards Seungmin and he smiles. “I hope you come visit me and my family someday? I know it's far outside of Seoul, and you'll be busy with your job-”

  “I'd love to?” Seungmin says as he approaches Hyunjin. He places a hand on his forearm and Hyunjin's smiled fades. “But you're gonna be busy, too, what are you talking about?”

  “I'm letting you down, Seungmin, I'm letting everyone down,” Hyunjin says with a sob.

  Seungmin's brain enters extreme overdrive, but it's also blank.

  “That’s ridiculous, Hyunjin, you-”

  “You are the only person at that company who treated me well,” Hyunjin continues.

  “W-”

  “Mr. Gwan hit on me.”

  Seungmin feels himself shut down.

  Hyunjin's eyes are wide as if he's also surprised by what he said. Seungmin puts a hand against the wall to steady himself.

  “He what?”

  “He… he was telling me how good of a job I'm doing? And then he kissed me, and I pushed him away, and he fired me. And even if he hadn't, I… I can't be there anymore. I have to go home.”

  Seungmin is filled with rage of some kind, but he pushes it down. “But, Hyunjin-”

  “The only thing I came for is this job that I don't even deserve. He gave it to me so he could do this. He-”

  Hyunjin hiccups and sobs again. “I can't do this anymore. I'm the secretary, Seungmin. Eye candy that writes emails.”

  “That's not true, Hyunjin,” Seungmin says, his voice stronger and more assertive than intended. “You need to stay, I…”

  Hyunjin's eyebrows furrowed as he waits. “You what?”

  “I need you to stay,” he chokes out. He realizes he's crying. “Hyunjin, you don't understand how much-”

  “I have to go home,” he says. “I'm not meant for here. I'll go home and I'll be with my parents and… I'll be a model for real this time.” Hyunjin laughs and sniffles at the same time.

  “You're worth so much more than that,” Seungmin insists.

  “It's not up to me. I have to go.”

  Hyunjin opens the door to the apartment and Seungmin follows him. “Hyunjin!”

  “Call me?” he asks, a teary smile on his face, and Hyunjin walks away.

  Seungmin feels like absolute garbage.

  So, Seungmin does to fix things in the business world.

 

~~~

 

  “Mr. Kim? Hello, and how may human resources help you today?”

  The second floor HR office has been mostly unknown to Seungmin, but he's here on a mission.

  “Yes, hello, I'm here to report sexual harrassment? I'm not entirely sure how this works, but…”

  “Would you like to file it? Or should we do all of that?” the secretary asks.

  “If you could, that would be nice.”

  She picks up a pen and readies it above her notepad.

  “This happened to Hwang Hyunjin, of District 9, harrassed by Mr. Gwan,” he starts.

  “I… I was just informed that Mr. Hwang has resigned?” she asks.

  “I'm getting there,” he says, aggravated. This whole situation is aggravating. He wants to deck Mr. Gwan for daring to touch Hyunjin.

  He tells the story as Hyunjin did through gritted teeth and gets in the elevator for the umpteenth time that day.

  In the lobby, leaning over the new secretary's desk, is Mr. Gwan.

  “Ah, Seungmin!” he exclaims, approaching him.

  Seungmin gags.

  “You have some nerve, walking around like you own the place right now, Mr. Gwan,” Seungmin mutters, pushing past him to exit the building and head home.

  Seungmin calls in sick to work on Friday.

 

~~~

 

  Seungmin wakes up to a voicemail on Saturday morning. He prays that it isn't from Hyunjin and that he didn't miss anything important, and his prayers are heard. It's from the M.I.A. building. More importantly, the HR office.

  “Hello, Mr. Kim, this is Ms. Lee from human resources. Just give us a call back when you get this message.”

  Seungmin does as she says. It rings twice before someone picks up.

  “Hello, you've reached the human resources office at M.I.A., how may I help you?”

  “Hello, this is Mr. Kim Seungmin, I just got your voicemail,” he says, putting on his best 'I didn't just wake up’ voice.

  “Yes, Mr. Kim. We have some follow-up information on the claim you filed with our office on Thursday.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, there was a similar claimed filed by Mr. Yang, the new secretary, just Friday afternoon, and we have multiple reports of verbal sexual harassment dating back for years and most recently with current employees, so Mr. Gwan has been fired from M.I.A.”

  Seungmin can't help the smile on his face. “Well, that's… that's great news! But… he needs a replacement, doesn't he?”

  “Mrs. Park of District 9 has already filled the position. District 9 will need a new manager, but that can be handled at a later date.”

  “Well, thank you for the information,” Seungmin says.

  “Of course.”

  He hangs up and stands up as he finds Hyunjin's number in his contacts.

  “Seungmin?”

  His voice is faded from crying, but it's healing, and it brings and even wider smile to Seungmin's face.

  “Hyunjin, are you still in Seoul right now?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I need to talk to you,” Seungmin says.

  “You can come over if you want,” Hyunjin responds, defeated.

  Hyunjin texts him his address and Seungmin is on his way. It's barely a ten minute walk from his apartment.

  He knocks on the door and waits a few moments for Hyunjin to open it.

  Hyunjin is dressed like he was when he was a secretary. He's wearing cat-eye glasses, necklaces over a pink turtleneck sweater, baggy checkered pants rolled up to show pink argyle socks. It's all so nice and so familiar, sans the very definite sad smile on his face.

  “Hi,” Seungmin says. He suddenly feels very awkward.

  “Come in,” Hyunjin says, stepping aside.

  His apartment has white, gray, and pink furniture, and it matches Hyunjin almost too well. It's adorable and Seungmin would admire it for longer if he didn't have something important to say.

  “Seungmin, I really am leaving, you know. I need to go-”

  “Mr. Gwan was fired,” Seungmin says.

  “What?”

  “Yeah. There's reports of him harassing the new secretary, and a few others. Mrs. Park is taking his job and they're going to hire a new manager.”

  “Okay,” Hyunjin says, leaning against his kitchen counter, looking at Seungmin with the saddest expression he had ever seen.

  “What… What do you mean “okay”? This is good news.”

  “Yeah. Sure. But I can't just go get my job back. I didn't deserve it.”

  “Stop,” Seungmin says. “We both know that isn't true. You're an amazing programmer and I… I can't just let you throw that away.”

  Hyunjin sighs. “Okay, I'll go talk to Mrs. Park on Monday.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” Hyunjin says with a laugh. He smiles, legitimately, and it's so soft and good and Seungmin's heart repairs itself.

  “I should go, then,” Seungmin says. “See you on Monday, Hyunjin.”

  He took a few long strides towards the door before he stops again.

  “Wait,” Hyunjin says.

  Seungmin turns to face him and is met with arms around his torso. He laughs and returns the hug, tracing his fingers along Hyunjin's shoulders. Because he isn't crying now, Seungmin can actually revel in the way he smells warm and feels like flowers. His heart is hiccuping deep within his chest and he hopes Hyunjin can't feel it.

  Hyunjin pulls away and squeezes his forearm. “See you Monday,” he says.

  Seungmin leaves and his mind launches itself onto another plane of existence.

 

~~~

 

  Monday comes slowly, but it does come, and Seungmin arrives at the pristine office building to see Hyunjin talking to the secretary - a boy with a wide smile and big eyes, who looks like he could be eighteen despite definitely being older than that. Seungmin walks close enough to see his name plate. Yang Jeongin.

  Hyunjin laughs as he's talking to him, and Jeongin turns his gaze towards Seungmin. He waves. Hyunjin turns around and smiles at him, too.

  Things are looking up.

  “Seungmin!” Hyunjin exclaims. “Jeongin, this is Kim Seungmin.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Yang,” Seungmin greets.

  Jeongin is clearly flustered by the formality.

  “Thank you for reporting what happened with Mr. Gwan,” Seungmin continues. “M.I.A. is better without him.”

  Jeongin nods and Hyunjin smiles again. He smiles a lot, and it's just so soft. Seungmin walks with him to the elevator.

  When he arrives on the twentieth floor, windows full of sunshine, he is immediately met with a voice.

  Mrs. Park looks panicked. “Seungmin! Nice to see you. I was wondering if you know anything about the whereabouts of Hwang Hyunjin. He really is the best programmer we've had on this team in a long while, and-”

  “Sorry, I was tying my shoe,” Hyunjin says, reappearing at Seungmin's side.

  “Hyunjin,” Mrs. Park exclaims, taken aback.

  “Hello, Mrs. Park. Actually, Seungmin brought me here to ask for my job back-”

  “You're hired. Rehired. Please come back, we have deadlines,” she says quickly.

  Hyunjin beams, and Seungmin can't help but do the same.

 

~~~

 

  That workweek is the best week of Seungmin's life. He sees Hyunjin every day, sitting at his desk, smiling and living his life and finally being confident in his abilities. It's amazing to watch. He wears turtlenecks layered with necklaces.

  On Friday, while leaving work, Hyunjin is about to start towards his apartment when Seungmin chokes slightly.

  “Are you okay?” Hyunjin asks with a little laugh.

  “Yeah, yeah, I just.”

  “Do you have something to say?” Hyunjin teases.

_ I love you. _

  Seungmin doesn't say that. 

  “Yes?”

  Hyunjin seems surprised with his answer. “Really? I was just joking, but…”

  “No, I kinda want to talk to you? Not here, but…”

  Hyunjin nods and smiles. “Sure. Do you wanna come over?”

  Seungmin suddenly feels very nervous, very vulnerable, like he has to call his mom and ask first. Maybe she'll say she needs to meet his parents first, and Seungmin will temporarily escape the situation.

  “Sure.”

  Seungmin enters a state of mental indifference. He supposes he's about to confess to Hwang Hyunjin, right to his soft face, and maybe it'll go well and maybe it won't.

  He feels Hyunjin tap his index finger against his pinky and Seungmin opens his hand instinctively.

  Hyunjin takes it and his hand is large and soft, and it makes Seungmin feel better about the whole situation. Of course, now he's nervous, and he feels like his stomach is about to spontaneously combust, but Hyunjin is holding his hand, so it's fine.

  They arrive at Hyunjin's apartment building and Hyunjin unlocks the door. “Make yourself at home,” Hyunjin says and starts towards the kitchen to make tea, Seungmin guesses.

  He sits down on the gray loveseat and reality of the situation is refusing to sink in. He's high on loving Hwang Hyunjin and the pink decor in his apartment and the jangle of the bracelets on his wrists. Seungmin finds his own feelings disgusting.

  Hyunjin returns with tea and hands a mug to Seungmin. “Thank you,” Seungmin says, taking it and drinking it slowly.

  “Is this… hot chocolate?”

  Hyunjin's face turns some shade of pink. “Yeah, it's… it's almost winter? So it's all I have in the house. I hope that's okay,” Hyunjin says. “Wait! I have marshmallows!”

  He stands and rushes towards the kitchen, returning with a bag of jumbo marshmallows. He puts some in his own mug and hands the bag to Seungmin.

  Seungmin puts a few in his drink before shoving a couple in his mouth.

  “So, Seungmin?”

  “Mmph?”

  His mouth is full of marshmallows. He didn't think that through. He chews and swallows hard.

  Hyunjin laughs and grabs the bag of marshmallows off the table. He puts one in his mouth and pushes it into his right cheek with his tongue. “Chubby bunny,” he says and then laughs. He repeats it more seriously.

  Seungmin has lost all of his inhibitions.

  He grabs one as well and puts it in his mouth. “Chubby bunny.”

  Hyunjin grabs another and puts it in his other cheek, repeating the phrase, and Seungmin follows him.

  When Hyunjin gets to his fifth marshmallow, he starts to struggle. “Chuh- wait.”

  He adjusts with his tongue before trying again. “Chubby bunny.”

  Seungmin fails at six, despite trying his hardest. “Doesn't count,” Hyunjin says after his miserable failure to say ‘chubby bunny’ again.

  Seungmin laughs and gags simultaneously. Hyunjin rushes into the kitchen and returns with two plastic bags, one of which he is already ungracefully coughing his marshmallows into. He hands one to Seungmin and he proceeds to do the same.

  Seungmin is mostly done with dislodging sugar goop from his mouth when he hears it.

  “Ah, I love you.”

  He looks up at Hyunjin, who seems completely unbothered, staring at him with the sweetest gaze, sweeter than the marshmallows still lingering in Seungmin's gums.

  He coughs. “Excuse me, I don't think I caught that?”

  Hyunjin still doesn't panic. He laughs, even, and then stops himself to say, very seriously, “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” he says, much more hastily than he was hoping to.

  “Anyway, what did you want to talk about?” Hyunjin says with another giggle.

  “Uh… that was kind of it.”

  “What?”

  “I wanted to tell you that… that I like you. But I think you just beat me to it.”

  Hyunjin's eyes go wide. “Oh! You… you  _ like _ me?”

  “Yes?”

  “I like you, too.”

  Seungmin chokes again and unceremoniously discards the plastic bag of rejected marshmallow on the coffee table. “You what?”

  “I like you, too,” he repeats, another laugh behind his words. “A lot. Ever since I was a secretary.”

  Seungmin nods. His head is somewhere in the clouds, somewhere far away from Hyunjin and his soft  _ everything _ , somewhere he absolutely couldn't find his brain function. “Wow. Umm. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do now.”

  “Kim Seungmin,” Hyunjin says, taking his hand in both of his. Seungmin can feel his face going red. “Will you go out with me?”

  Seungmin swallows hard.  _ Am I dead? Is this heaven? I absolutely can't believe it. What am I doing- _

  “I mean, I  _ guess _ ,” he says, rolling his eyes dramatically. Hyunjin laughs and it's so, so, so soft.

 

~~~

 

  “Seungmin?”

  He hears the all familiar voice from somewhere in the dark office. “Jinnie? I told you to go home.”

  “That was at five. It's midnight,” he says. He sniffles and Seungmin realizes he's crying. He immediately stands up from his desk and looks around the moonlit office, eventually finding Hyunjin's tall figure. Seungmin watches as he approaches him.

  Seungmin wraps his arms around Hyunjin's torso as soon as he gets close enough. “I'm so sorry,” he mumbles.

  Hyunjin returns the hug. “Why are you working so hard?”

  Seungmin shrugs deeper into Hyunjin's chest. “I just feel like I'm not doing enough. I want to be better.”

  “You are better. The best.”

  It reminds Seungmin of what he said to Hyunjin when they first got to know each other.

  Seungmin smiles at the compliment. “But the progress reports don't seem to show it.”

  “They do. This team would crash and burn without you here.”

  “I don't know about that.”

  Hyunjin sighs and takes in another shaky breath. “Let's just go home, yeah?”

  When they arrive in the lobby, Seungmin hears a distinct sound of someone falling out of a chair. He turns towards the front desk and sees Jeongin hoisting himself up off the floor.

  “Jeongin, are you okay?”

  “I fell asleep while working,” he says sheepishly.

  “Go home, Innie,” Hyunjin says with a laugh.

  Jeongin nods, grabbing his messenger bag and quickly exiting the building, Hyunjin and Seungmin close behind.

  “You should come home… when you say you will. I get scared sometimes,” Hyunjin says, his voice vulnerable and open, even more so than usual.

  “I'm really sorry. Scared of what, though?”

  “Scared you've been murdered? Or are working yourself to death. Or that my perfect business-y boyfriend is cheating on me.”

  Seungmin laughs as Hyunjin does. “Well, I may work myself to death. But I'd murder anyone before they got to me, and I'd never cheat on you, never in a million years.”

  “I'm glad to hear it.”

  “And you better not die or cheat on me, either, Mr. Hwang.”

  Hyunjin giggles and squeezes Seungmin's hand.

  However much of a joke it was, Seungmin remembers the first and only time he thought Hyunjin was cheating on him. He was staying at work for unreasonable hours, not coming home to their shared apartment until late at night. It was leading up to be the most stressful Christmases of Seungmin's life.

  Hyunjin bought Seungmin his dream computer for their second Christmas together with the bonuses he had saved from working so much. Seungmin cried.

  They arrive at Hyunjin's apartment - now  _ their  _ apartment, and they both kick their shoes off. Hyunjin kisses him gently and mumbles something about getting ready for bed. He retreats into the bathroom.

  Seungmin collapses onto the couch and sighs. He admires the room for a little while and smiles a bit, amazed that he lives here with Hyunjin, the love of his life, in Seoul. His life is going better than he could have possibly imagine. He notices a black box on the coffee table and laughs.

  Hyunjin always leaves his earrings around the apartment, in their respective boxes. He doesn't listen to Seungmin when he says he'll lose them, which became even more of a concern when Seungmin spent more than he cared to admit on a pair of emerald earrings for their one year anniversary. Seungmin recognizes this box as the one for Hyunjin's sapphire earrings, the ones he wore the first time Seungmin ever met him, years ago, not that he'd admit to remembering something like that. He sat up and took the box off the coffee table and opened it to admire them.

_ Oh no. _

  There are sapphires, pink ones, shining back at Seungmin from the box, contrasting softly with silver, and it reminds him so much of Hyunjin. But the sapphires are set in a silver  _ ring _ , one Seungmin has never seen before, and swears wouldn't fit Hyunjin's hands.

  He hears the bathroom door open and turns to see Hyunjin without makeup, hair messier than it was, earrings taken out and sweatpants and a sweatshirt on. This is one of Seungmin's favorite versions of Hyunjin. He remembers the first time he saw it, when Hyunjin had slept over at his house for the most domestic movie night of all time. Hyunjin had kissed him before but that was the first time Seungmin kissed Hyunjin. Seungmin asked him to be his boyfriend that day, and it now fills Seungmin with an indescribable nostalgic joy. Hyunjin smiles upon seeing him and Seungmin notices the very evident tears in his own eyes.

  Hyunjin's gaze darts around and eventually his face falls and he looks panicked.

  “Hyunjin, is this…?”

  Hyunjin nods and Seungmin feels like he's going to die on the spot, but instead he launches himself over the back of the couch and kisses Hyunjin, hard, separating only to hug him more effectively. “You're such an idiot.”

  “I was looking at it and I forgot to put it back because I'm…”

  “An idiot.”

  “Yeah,” Hyunjin says with a watery laugh.

  Hyunjin pushes him gently back and walks 

towards the coffee table. He takes the box and kneels dramatically on one knee in front of Seungmin, and, looking down at him, every one of Seungmin's dreams has come true.

  “Kim Seungmin,” Hyunjin starts.

  Seungmin sobs.

  “Oh, don't do that, let me finish,” Hyunjin says, beaming, tears already on his own cheeks. “Kim Seungmin.”

  “Yeah?”

  “When I met you, I was a secretary, and I thought that was all I'd ever be. You showed me the potential that I have to do more, to be more than anyone ever thought I could. You made it easier for me to come to work when I was doubting myself, and make it easier for me to come home when I want to work more. I love you, Seungmin, for everything you've done for me, and for everything you are.”

  Seungmin hiccups and rubs his eyes with the hand Hyunjin isn't holding.

  “So, Kim Seungmin. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” he says, laughing, crying, doing all of the cliche proposal things but they're in their apartment and Hyunjin is wearing pajamas and it's perfect.

  Hyunjin fumbles with taking the ring out of the box and puts it on Seungmin's hand before he stands and envelopes him in a hug. It's warm. Soft.

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily inspired by Legally Blonde, specifically the musical. I hope you enjoyed this fluff fest!


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